Chapter Thirty Three: Two and A Half Friends

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15:56

Ben and I arrived back at home ready to put up the Christmas tree when there was a knock at the door. "Have you invited anyone around?" I asked as I went to answer the door. "No, I don't recall inviting anyone around, sweetie." Ben replied as he placed the tree into the stand in the window. I walked up to the front door and took a deep breath in and opened the door. "Claud! Surprise!" Leigh shouted, standing in the doorway. "Leigh! What are you doing here? You are meant to be in Africa?!" Leigh smiled and said, "We've been allowed a week off now and another on Christmas! Stupid I know but, oh well hey!" "Are you going to invite Leigh in then?" Ben shouted from the lounge. "Oh yes, sorry, would you like to come in?" I asked Leigh who was standing in the door way fashioning a suitcase and a gift bag. "I thought you'd never ask!" Leigh joked about as I stepped to one side inviting her in and guiding her into the front room.

"Leigh!" Ben smiled, "What a surprise it is to see here!" "I know what a coincidence bumping into you here, in your own house!" Leigh replied winking. "You knew she was coming over didn't you?" I said looking at Ben raising an eyebrow. "Surprise Claud!" Ben said standing up smiling. "I can only stay an hour or so though as I've ordered a taxi to collect me from here and take me back to Manston" Leigh smiled, "I mainly came to make sure you were okay and to drop some presents round, that you mustn't open until Christmas!" Leigh handed me the gift bag and looked at me as if to say don't you dare think about opening it! Ben retrieved the bag from me and placed it under the tree. "So have you got any news to tell me?" Leigh asked as she sat on the sofa waiting for me to tell her a massive life story. "Well, where do I start?" I said sitting along side her. "Maybe about university? How's that going?" Leigh suggested. "Well, that's going okay, I've made a few friends. I've made a few enemies also. The professor is a bit strange but he's amazing! My roommate is half Australian, a quarter German and a quarter something else, I can't remember. But she's lovely!" Leigh smiled and looked at my wrists, "How are they?" "They've been a lot better. Went through a rough patch a few months ago but everything is cleared up now and I'm getting better." "What happened?" "Well, my family and Sam were all involved in a car crash a few months ago and they didn't make it. I didn't take the news very well and ended up cutting and passing out in a beano toilets, so I stayed here all of August instead of staying at Oxford. But everything is better now." I smiled. Leigh looked at my stomach and said, "Any other form of news?" I smiled and nodded, "I'm 2 months gone!" Leigh looked at me and smiled, "That is fantastic! My little baby, all growing up! Well, I shouldn't be too surprised, I always knew you was going to be up the duff before I got home!" I elbowed Leigh and smiled.

16:20

Knock! Knock!

"That's my taxi! I better be off! Have a very merry Christmas guys and hope to see you soon!" Leigh said shooting up off of the sofa, grabbing her belongings and was off. "I love you Leigh!" I shouted at the top of my lungs from the door way as she clambered into the taxi. "I love you too Claud & bump!" Leigh screamed back as the taxi drove away before returning to the lounge where Ben sat surrounded by Christmas decorations getting in a right cafafel."We used to leave the decorations until the next day." I said to Ben as I walked over to him, who was sat on the floor surrounded by boxes, "We could just leave it until tomorrow?" I smiled as I sat on his lap, looking through the bags and admiring the decorations that were ranging from baubles to candy canes. "If that's what you used to do at home then that shall be what we do!" Ben said putting his arms around my waist and placing his hands on my stomach. "Darling?" Ben asked inhaling my aroma as he placed his head on my shoulder. "Yes?" I replied. "I was thinking, baby names. I was thinking Samantha if the baby is a girl and if the baby is a boy Samuel. I think we should name the baby after your uncle. The man who got us both together. The man you looked up to. The man who grew to be one of my close friends. The man who was your best friend." I turned my head and looked into his eyes and smiled, "I love those names. Sam would have loved those names as well, the diva he was! Baby Sam. I love it!" I said, placing a kiss on Ben's cheek. "Wait until Martin & Amanda hear!" Ben gleamed before I said rubbing my tummy, "What time are we due to be over there house?" I said, looking at the clock on the wall that read 16:29. "I think we should leave now and then we will be able to miss the tea time traffic." Ben added as he looked at his invisible watch. I arose off of Ben's lap sped off to the hall, to slide my rucksack on to my back and slipped my white low cut converse onto my feet and I was ready to go. But was Ben? Nope. He had to turn all of the lights out, shut all of the doors, put his shoes on, put his coat on over his white shirt and jacket, put his scarf on and then his gloves and then he had to grab his keys. And yes, it was apparently necessary. I opened the door about to walk out when Ben grabbed hold of my rucksack handle before he said, "Aren't you forgetting something?" I shook my head. "Your coat or you're going to get even worse." Ben said holding my coat, waving it about. I smiled, sarcastically and took my coat off of him. "Ben I would have been fine!" I added as I slid my coat on whilst walking down the stairs towards the car. Ben chuckled, "Claud, sweetie, come on, let's just get in the car and go!"

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